Located approximately 11km or 7 miles from the centre of Hanoi, Van Phuc is considered the oldest and best-known silk-producing village in Vietnam with special dying and weaving technique which was still kept alive since the 13th century. 

Nowadays, Van Phuc Silk Village is renowned for traditional silk trade and high quality products, making it one of the most visited craft villages in Vietnam. 

Gate entry to the village. Generations of master weavers have built the village into a national brand, attracting many tourists, local tailors and traders all around the world.

The entire street stretching over 100 m in Van Phuc silk village is decorated with colorful umbrellas. It resembles the Love love umbrella in Aguda de Cima in Portugal

Many families in Van Phuc open their own shops on the main road of the village; create a “town of silk” that sell eye-catching silk products. However, only experienced buyers can tell the different grades of silk and distinguish real silk among some low quality polyester products from China 

 

 

Colorful scarves are best sellers as they are perfect gifts for visitors coming to Van Phuc Village

Typical motifs on brocade weaving silk made by Van Phuc artisans

 

What's special about silk from Van Phuc village?

Van Phuc silk has been sold in the European market since 1931 during an international silk exhibition in Marseille, France, where its silk products gained popularity among traders thanks to its unique and special texture 

Van Phuc’s products are not only made of natural silk, but they also have traditional patterns created through a sophisticated weaving process. 

Old jacquard looms are still used, weaving patterns containing centuries-old symbols and characters. The sophisticated motifs come virtue of traditional dyeing and brocade weaving. When combined, these techniques create layers of embossed and colored patterns, giving each silk fabric incredible depth and three-dimensionality.

 

Silk cloth with the village brand identity Van Phuc Silk or Ha Dong Silk woven into its edge. The savoir-faire of each creation has been improved for one generation to another, guaranteeing high quality.

Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801. In the early 20th century more than 200 machines ran permanently in the village.

How Van Phuc Silk Village can keep their century old handcraft tradition?

In order to meet the customer's varieties and compete with mass-produced silk from China, Van Phuc silk producers are expanding their silk and garment repertoire: traditional glossy, embroidered silks, double layers, wrinkled silks, and of course, more colours, hues and weights, for which they have invented new techniques in dying and thermo-processing the threads..

However, due to urbanisation, more and more craftsmen do not have enough space for silk weaving tools to produce their own products. The traditional silk workshops are at risk of disappearing. 

 Luala Silk takes custom orders for all silk bedding and silk clothings which are made from highest quality grade of natural silk that you can find in South East Asia. All of our products are hand embroidered by artisans. We commit to support fair trade practices and cottage industries in Vietnam.